


What about us?

by SilverMaxwell (Endless_beginnings)



Series: the good stuff [2]
Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Angst, Historical stuff, M/M, You Decide, i may have made my self sad, no comfort, open ended??? maybe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 18:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21360628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endless_beginnings/pseuds/SilverMaxwell
Summary: Paul comes to John’s place to tell him about a certain bill that passed in 1967, John doesn’t react the way Paul expects. (an attempt at angst)Prompt fill request by anon: 'what about us?'
Relationships: John Lennon/Paul McCartney
Series: the good stuff [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539301
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	What about us?

**Author's Note:**

> angst angst angst

It was legal.

_It was legal._

As Paul walked towards John’s residence He reread the front page to the newspaper he held for what could have been the fortieth time that morning.

_‘Homosexual bill passes overnight in House of Commons’_

When Paul had first picked up the paper a surge of joy and hope overcame him (and heartache for Brian as he couldn’t help but wonder what _he_ would have thought). Though the bill only allowed it in the complete privacy of their homes, Paul couldn’t help but feel the world was ever so slowly getting on the right track.

Yes, he did realize that maybe he was being too optimistic. It wasn’t like everyone in the world would collectively change their views in a day, a month or a year but right now Paul was on cloud nine and it felt like anything was possible.

With a skip in his step, he climbed up the stairs to John’s apartment and knocked, practically vibrating as he waited to break the news.

When John finally answered he was met with Paul’s blinding smile pushing him back into the apartment with a kiss. John could only respond with a hum as Paul deepened it.

Paul’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and John responded by grabbing him by the waist. 

“Paul?” he asks with a laugh as he moves away for a second. Confused but pleasantly surprised as Paul moves in again to give him another sweet kiss.

They saunter to John’s couch which is thankfully close by and fall back with a soft thud.

Paul immediately cuddles up to him and John smiles as a head of brown hair fits almost perfectly against the crook of his neck.

“Why are you here so early?” John asks and that’s when Paul finally realizes that the older is still in his pajamas.

That’s when he hands John the newspaper, now slightly wrinkled. “Here,” he says.

John takes the paper and Paul waits for his reaction.

(while he waits he rereads the title for the forty-first time that day)

While Paul was on his way to John’s he had run multiple scenarios through his head on how the older would react.

None of which had John reacting with a simple “…oh”.

The excitement Paul had felt stifled slightly.

“So, what do you think?” Paul presses on to try to get John to explain himself. John rests his cheek on top of his head, eyes not leaving the paper.

“It’s great! Really…” John begins and Paul doesn’t know how to feel about the way John seems to be carefully picking his words.

“It just… doesn’t change much for us though, does it? We’ve always done everything in private” John points out as he looks down at Paul. “At least after Paris” He adds when he sees Paul's face fall.

“Well, yes but…” Paul tries to counter with something. His excitement quickly being overtaken by embarrassment at John’s remark; it was true, nothing would really change for them and now it felt like he had gotten excited over nothing.

“If they passed this, maybe they’ll pass something better in the future, y’know?” Paul replies as he takes back the paper.

“maybe, one day, we could tell the people about… us” Paul finishes rather hopefully. 

A moment of silence passed between them.

“I don’t think we should”

Paul’s stomach drops. He pushes himself forward and turns to look at the older.

“What? Why?”

“Well, the most important people already know about us,” John explains as he sits up as well “Important people to us at least” he continues as he watches Paul’s shoulders sag “Like Ringo, George, George Martin”.

Three people, Paul realizes, such a short list.

“It’s just not a good idea, Macca,” John says softly.

Paul remains silent.

“Don’t you want to tell others, though?” Paul starts. “Just to say we’re together? To say we… love each other?”

“If they don’t take it well?” John presses as he crosses his arms. 

“Well, it doesn’t matter what they think” Paul scoffs and John’s face twists.

“Yes, it does” he adds rather forcefully.

“Why?” 

“They might go and snitch to the press”

“And if they do?” Paul challenges as his grip on the newspaper tightens. “What does it matter?”

“Because it’s _us_,” John’s voice rises in volume.

**“What about_ us_?**” Paul hisses back.

“We have music careers, for us to be successful we need people to want to listen and accept us” John rant as the look on Paul’s face sours. “That bill might’ve passed and changed some things legally, but I can assure you it hasn’t changed the minds of the people” 

“But in the future, if we were to accidentally say something and the next time we had a press conference and they were to ask us?“

“Paul, I don’t know how to get it through that thick head of yours but we _can’t_ let them know”  
John rolls his eyes and Paul felt a surge of anger overtake him for a moment.

“And if we hadn’t stuck with music?” Paul argues back “What if we had normal lives?”

John continued to look at him with an unimpressed look in his eyes. 

“What if someone in our family asked? My father or Mimi? What if Ringo and George had never walked in on us and they asked? What would you say?”

_“I’d deny it!”_ John yelled at him “You _prat_, this entire conversation is... is-" John stuttered as he thought of a response "Makes me hope they never pass anything like a marriage bill or I’d be stuck in another daft argument with you over-”

Paul didn’t hear the end of the sentence because he was already out the door.

He stomped down the stairs livid with tears pricking at his eyes and heart aching.

Once Paul was a good distance away he stopped to collect himself before anyone could notice him, no need to catch the attention of anyone nearby to avoid the question of why _Paul McCartney_ was running out of _John Lennon's_ apartment_ crying._

As he stood he silently hoped to hear the sound of a door being thrown open, the sound of feet hitting the pavement and running towards him. So he could know that _John didn’t mean it-_

Paul was still for a moment. He turned around.

The door had been closed.

Paul clenched his teeth and turned around to walk back home.

He threw the newspaper in the nearest trash can.

**Author's Note:**

> I take requests! my Tumblr is https://silver-maxwell.tumblr.com or even leave one in the comments!


End file.
